Pump



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United States Patent PUMP Chester E. Tussey, San Gabriel, Calif. Application November 23, 1953, Serial No. 393,536

7 Claims. (Cl. 23(l--55) This invention has to do with improvements in pumps, particularly of an intermittent displacement type adapted to operate at rather high frequency and to discharge relatively small quantities of fluid in response to each actuation of the displacement media. The invention has been made for the particular purposes of a pump to supply air to fish tanks, and may be considered hereinafter in that adaptation, with the understanding however that the invention may be used for various other purposes requiring the pumping displacement of fluids, particularly air or other gases.

With more particular regard to its structural aspects, the present pump may be characterized as a diaphragm type embodying a flexible displacement element, preferably an elastomer diaphragm, adapted to be reciprocally displaced at rather high frequency as by a magnetic actuator, typically an appropriate form of solenoid and armature device. Being exposed to what may be termed the displacement chamber, the diaphragm acts upon its displacement in one direction to induce air flow into the chamber, and to displace the air therefrom upon opposite defiection of the diaphragm.

The invention is primarily concerned with an improved valve device and its accommodation within the pump housing, for controlling air flow into and from the displacement chamber. As to the valve control, the invention has for one of its primary objects the incorporation of the valve parts as a single unit insertible within the housing in sealed operative relation to the pumping diaphragm, and characterized by its extreme simplicity in requiring only the combination of a ported valve body' or block and an elastomer valving means in the form of one or a pair of flexible diaphragms or membranes applied to the block and displaceable to and from its surfaces to produce the valve action in relation to the ports and passages in the block.

In its preferred form the valve assembly comprises a block or body containing air inlet and outlet ports so exposed in relation to the flexible valve diaphragm or diaphragms as to enable each diaphragm at opposite sides of the block to have dual valving functions, the one diaphragm controlling the intake of air through the inlet port to a discharge port in the block and thence into the displacement chamber, and the other diaphragm controlling the discharge of air from the displacement chamber through the last mentioned port and finally through a port in the diaphragm itself communicating with an air outlet in the pump housing.

All the features and objects of the invention as well as the details of certain typical and preferred embodiments thereof will be understood more fully and to best advantage by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the pump in longitudinal cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 as a bottom plan of the valve assembly;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional enlargement of the valve assembly as it appears in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a variational form of the valve assembly; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the pump comprises a housing, generally indicated at 10, including a cylindrical shell 11 receiving in its lower end a bottom section or closure 12, and within its upper end a top closure 13. The housing contains an inner tubular wall 14 annularly spaced at 15 from the shell 10 and held against the bottom section 12 by a clamp ring 16.. At this point it may be mentioned that all parts of the housing assembly referred to thus far may be held in the assembled relation shown in Fig. 1 by press fit between the parts.

The motive element operated to displace air to an outlet 17 in the top closure 13 of the housing, preferably comprises a flexible diaphragm 18, most desirably of rubber, actuated in reciprocal deflections by a suitable motor, generally indicated at 19, contained within the housing below ring 16. Typically, the motor comprises a core 20 containing a solenoid coil 21 connectced with electrical alternating current leads 22. The diaphragm 18 is connected by pin 23 with an armature plate 24 in opposed relation to the upper end of the solenoid core so that upon energization of the solenoid, the armature plate is reciprocally actuated to correspondingly deflect the diaphragm 18. Coil spring 25 bearing against conical washer 26 is confined between the diaphragm and armature plate.

Adjustability of the solenoid core relative to the armature plate is permitted by threading into the core 20 a stud 27 extending through opening 28 in the bottom closure 12 and carrying on its lower end a cap nut 29 which may be adjusted to vary the clearance between the solenoid and armature plate. Air enters the housing through channels 30 in the nut and the clearance space at 31 within opening 28 about the stud. Coil spring 32 is interposed between the solenoid core and the closure plate 12. The solenoid body is guided in its axial displacement when adjusted by the nut 29, by means of ribs 33, see Fig. 6, received between spaced guides 34 projecting inwardly from the wall of the: shell 14.

Air admitted to the housing as described, is taken upwardly through openings 35 in ring 16 into chamber 36 and thence into displacement chamber 37 to be discharged to the outlet 17 in response to the deflections of diaphragm 18, under control of a valve assembly generally indicated at 38. Referring particularly to Figs 3 and 4, the valve assembly comprises a block 39 containing an inlet passage 40 and connected port 41 opening at the underside of the body, and a discharge port 43 extending through the body from its bottom to top surfaces. About the ports the faces of the body may have raised seating surfaces at 44, 45, 46 and 47 for more effective seating of the valve diaphragm 48. As previously indicated, the latter preferably comprises a rubber band extending continuously about the valve body, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. However, if for any reason desired, the diaphragm may be made in the form of two sections 4811 and 48b cemented or otherwise secured to the valve block near its edges as at 49' in Fig. 5.

When inserted within the housing 10 in operative relation with the diaphragm 18, the valve assembly 38 is placed upon a gasket 56 having a central opening 51. see Fig. 2, and all outer surfaces of the valve assembly about the opening 51 are clamped between the gasket 50 and the undersurface of the top closure 13 about its recess 52 from which the outlet 17 leads.

In considering the operation of the pump, assume first that the diaphragm, 18 is deflected downwardly by the solenoid motor from the intermediate positions of the diaphragm illustrated. The resulting pressure reduction in the displacement chamber 37 deflects the bottom extent of the diaphragm 48 away from the undersurface of the valve block 39, to permit the flow of intake air from passage 40 and port 41 between the valve diaphragm and block across to port 43 from which the air enters chamber 37 through hole 53 in the diaphragm. Then upon upward pumping displacement of the diaphragm 18, the air is discharged through port 43 and between the upper extent of the valve diaphragm 48 to hole 54 in the diaphragm and thence to the outlet 17.

It will be understood that the drawings are to be regarded merely as illustrative of the invention in certain of its typical forms and adaptations, and that changes and modifications may be made without departure from the invention in its intended spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. A pump of the character described comprising a flexible diaphragm, means forming with the diaphragm a closed chamber at one side thereof, means for deflecting said diaphragm to draw air into and discharge air from said chamber, a valve body containing a plurality of ports trhough which air flows to and from said chamber in response to deflections of said diaphragm, and a continuous elastic diaphragm band extending about said valve body and controlling the air flow through said ports, said flexible diaphragm and a portion of said diaphragm band extending across opposite ends of said chamber.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said portion of the diaphragm band is directly exposed to said chamber so as to be deflectible away from the valve body as the chamber pressure decreases.

3. Improved valving apparatus for a pump having a pumping diaphragm and including means forming a chamber at one side of the diaphragm into and from which air is alternately drawn and discharged by said diaphragm; said apparatus comprising a valve body having a face adapted to be positioned at a side of said chamber and spaced opposite from said pumping diaphragm, said body containing an air inlet and a first port in communication therewith and a second port adapted to communicate with said chamber, said ports opening through said face of the valve body and said second port extending through said valve body to the opposite side thereof, diaphragm valve means comprising a single rubber band extending about said valve body and across said ports and extending freely across an area of said face of the valve body which extends adjacent and is substantially larger than the area of said first port, said diaphragm valve means being deflectible from said first port in response to reduced pressure applied to the outside of the diaphragm to pass air from said first port between the diaphragm and said face of the valve body into said chamber, and said diaphragm valve means seating against said opposite side of the valve body to intermittently close said second port.

4. A pump of the character described comprising a housing, an elastomer pumping diaphragm within the housing, power operated means for deflecting said diaphragm, a valve body spaced from said pumping diaphragm, there being an elastomer valve diaphragm and a spacer disposed therebetween in layered relation, said spacer being interposed between said pumping and valve diaphragms and forming an opening therebetween defining a displacement chamber into and out of which air passes in response to pumping diaphragm deflections, said valve body containing an air inlet and a first port through which air is taken to said chamber at the side of the body facing the chamber and containing a discharge port communicable with the chamber and extending through the valve body, means forming an outlet in the housing for receiving air from said discharge port, said valve diaphragm lying between said spacer and said valve body and extending across said ports and freely across an area of said side of the valve body which extends adjacent and is substantially larger than said first port, and said valve diaphragm having formed therein openings for controlling flow of air through said first port into said chamber and through said discharge port and said diaphragm being freely deflectible from said first port in response to reduced pressure conditions in said chamber to pass air from said first port into said chamber, and means contacting and urging an outer portion 0 fsaid pumping diaphragm toward said valve body to clamp an outer portion of said spacer extending about said opening between said pumping and valve diaphragms in air sealing relation therewith.

5. A pump as defined in claim 4, in which said valve diaphragm comprises a continuous rubber band extending about and embracing the valve body.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 in which said elastomer pumping and valve diaphragms comprise transversely extending rubber sheets, said pumping diaphragm having substantially greater thickness than said valve diaphragm.

7. The invention as defined in claim 4 in which an intermediate portion of said pumping diaphragm lies opposite said opening, and in which said means urging said pumping diaphragm toward said valve body includes a shoulder in compressive engagement with a surface portion of said diaphragm extending about said intermediate portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 471,630 Walker Mar. 29, 1892 1,416,771 Babson May 23, 1922 2,134,077 Ehret Oct. 25, 1938 2,186,564 Thiberg Jan. 9, 1940 2,376,712 Moran May 22, 1945 2,471,796 Thiberg May 31, 1949 2,536,995 Hadley Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 677,608 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1952 

